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Former World Cup referee Vital Loraux has died

Former World Cup referee Vital Loraux died Wednesday at the age of 87, announced Belgian Football Union. Loraux has officiated at two FIFA World Cups, in 1970 and 1974. He also refereed the 1974 European Champions Cup final.

Loraux, born on 22 September 1925, in Charleroi, became referee after a short playing career at the Olympic Charleroi and Daring Bruxelles. He officiated in the first division from 1958 and quickly became among the best referees, as evidenced by his five Cup finals in Belgium (1966, 1970, 1972, 1973 and 1975). In 1964, Vital Loraux became an international referee. At the FIFA World Cup 1970, in Mexico, he was assigned two matches, England-Romania and Brazil-Peru. Four years later, in Germany, he refereed Brazil-Peru, in the second round. In the same year, 1974, he was appointed to referee the European Champions Cup final between Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid (1-1). Two days later, the replay won 4-0 by Bayern was refereed by another Belgian, Alfred Delcourt, who died in December 2012. Reaching the age limit of that time, 50, Vital Loraux retired from refereeing in 1975. He was a member of the Belgian Referees Committee from 1975 to 1999, when he was nominated as an Honour Member of the Belgian Football Union.